Excellence

The best softball players practice excellence in all aspects of the game. They don't step outside unless their uniforms are neat and complete and their shoes shine. They warm up with intensity. They hustle. Always. They run on and off the field. They take care of their gloves and bats and always know where their equipment is. They are respectful to umpires and opposing teams.  Simply put, when it comes to achieving excellence, the little things matter. Below are some softball quotes on excellence to inspire you:

"Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."  -- John Gardner

"If you'll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives."  -- Vince Lombardi

"Excellence is not a skill.  It's an attitude." -- Ralph Marston

"Losing a game is heartbreaking.  Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy." -- Joe Paterno

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice, practice, practice.  'Nuff said.  Quotes about practice....

"When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win."  --Ed MacCauley (basketball player)

"We're prepared, and we've done everything we can to prepare for this moment in time.  That's what confidence is all about."  --Liza Fernandez (softball player)

"The more I practice the luckier I get."  --Arnold Palmer (golfer)

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." --Giselle Chapman (success coach)

"Success happens when preparation meets opportunity."  --Unknown

"Practice does not make perfect.  Only perfect practice makes perfect."  --Vince Lombardi (football coach)

"Practice harder."  --Anonymous

Winning Is Everything

What's better than winning?  Quotes on winning to inspire:

“No matter how tough, no matter what kind of outside pressure, no matter how many bad breaks along the way, I must keep my sights on the final goal, to win, win, win—and with more love and passion than the world has ever witnessed in any performance.”  --Billie Jean King

“The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am.  Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do.”  -- Dennis Waitley

“If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?”  --Vince Lombardi

Quotes from Softball Coaches

“The game is the game. You never know what will happen when you play the game.” --Gordon Eakin, BYU

"It's a game of making great pitches at the right time, being opportunistic by getting a run at the right time and playing good defense."  -- Mike Candrea, USA

“[I]t’s been a process of trying to slow everything down and to continue to remember that no matter what we go through on a day-by-day basis here that we have a softball game ….” --Ehren Earleywine, Missouri

“What I love about the game is that the game doesn't know who is supposed to win.”

--Sue Enquist, UCLA

“It’s a player-by-player thing that we’re going to need to find a way to try to get each hitter out.” --Ehren Earleywine, Missouri

(On being at the College World Series) “The road to get here -- much respect, a lot hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of experience to be able to get to the point where you can be at your best when you need to be at your best.” -- Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA

“It’s a bummer to be sitting up here getting run ruled in the College World Series, but at least we are here.”  -- Tim Walton, Florida

 “Everybody knows that pitching and defense win championships. It's all about defense.  It's that way in pretty much every sport. So if we can pitch and play defense we have a chance at a championship.  But you can also win quite a few games by hitting.” --Ehren Earleywine, Missouri

"Softball is an easy sport to fall in love because our game is fast paced and action packed."  --Yvette Girouard, LSU

"[She's] someone who is willing to do whatever the team needs her to do and whatever will help the team the most. That’s true softball heart." -- Barry Mosely, Doane College

"The game has grown so much.  Obviously a lot of it is because of television, but I think it’s a lot because people love what they see on the field.  They see these young kids go out there and fight really hard and play really well." -- Tim Walton, Florida 

Quotes from Softball Players

“There is a way to play this game physically, but it’s the mental part that’s going to separate gold from silver and silver from bronze.” -- Lisa Fernandez, pitcher, USA

“We just need to stay within ourselves, not try to do too much, not try to show too much and just … play our game.”  -- Kelly Majam, outfielder, Hawaii

“This year we have tried to focus on what jersey we are putting on and not what team is in the other dugout.” -- Kelly Majam, outfielder, Hawaii

(On being at the 2010 College World Series) “We’re honored to be here, but right now it’s not about taking all this in front of media and all the stuff that comes with the College World Series.  It’s about winning games and taking it one at a time.” -- Jana Hainey, pitcher, Missouri

“We’re going to step on the field knowing that every team we’re going against is going to push their game to that whole new level that we probably hadn’t seen. ... We’ve just got to be ready to step up with them.”  --Crystl Bustos, third base, Team USA

“One pitch can be the difference between a win and a loss, an error could be the difference.” --Lisa Fernandez, pitcher, USA

“[T]he game’s got to be played on the field, and that’s the one day that’s got to be the most important day.” --Lisa Fernandez, pitcher, USA

"I could have never dreamed what an amazing ride this has been." -- Jennie Finch, pitcher, USA

"To be a little girl, wearing USA stuff, watching the Olympics and then to grow older and to compete alongside the women you have admired is unbelievable."  --Jennie Finch, pitcher, USA